Following Google’s I/O event announcement that its new “AI Mode” will soon become standard for all U.S. search users, the News Media Alliance issued a sharp rebuke, calling out the growing threat this feature poses to online publishers.
The new interface weaves a chatbot experience directly into the core of Google Search, offering summarized answers drawn from across the web. Though branded as an improvement for users, the update raises serious concerns for those who produce original content.
The alliance, representing a broad group of media outlets, argued that Google’s shift further distances audiences from source material, reducing the flow of traffic to publisher websites. With fewer outbound clicks, revenue and visibility for news producers diminish—while Google keeps users and advertisers inside its own ecosystem.
In the alliance’s view, the search engine has crossed a critical line. The last meaningful connection between platforms and publishers—clickable links—is now at risk of becoming obsolete. They believe this shift undermines the foundation of digital journalism, where exposure and monetization depend heavily on being discoverable through search.
Earlier this month, the group lent its support to the ongoing antitrust case targeting Google’s market behavior. Submitting a legal filing, it emphasized the need for publishers to gain more control over how their work is used in AI-generated outputs. They called for new policy tools that allow media organizations to withhold participation in AI training or summarization, especially when such tools bypass original content creators.
Meanwhile, internal discussions at Google, recently revealed by Bloomberg, suggest that the company has no intention of granting opt-out choices to publishers who wish to stay visible in search but avoid being scraped for generative models. For many in the media sector, this development highlights what they see as a deliberate strategy by Google: absorb the value of original content while denying its creators a voice in how that value gets repurposed.
For the News/Media Alliance and its members, the conflict is no longer about influence—it’s about survival. With search behavior being reshaped by AI, the group is urging regulators to act before Google’s dominance becomes even more entrenched.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next:
• These Are the Key Chatbots Competing for Your Attention
• AI Summaries of Scientific Research Often Mislead Readers, Study Warns
The new interface weaves a chatbot experience directly into the core of Google Search, offering summarized answers drawn from across the web. Though branded as an improvement for users, the update raises serious concerns for those who produce original content.
The alliance, representing a broad group of media outlets, argued that Google’s shift further distances audiences from source material, reducing the flow of traffic to publisher websites. With fewer outbound clicks, revenue and visibility for news producers diminish—while Google keeps users and advertisers inside its own ecosystem.
In the alliance’s view, the search engine has crossed a critical line. The last meaningful connection between platforms and publishers—clickable links—is now at risk of becoming obsolete. They believe this shift undermines the foundation of digital journalism, where exposure and monetization depend heavily on being discoverable through search.
Earlier this month, the group lent its support to the ongoing antitrust case targeting Google’s market behavior. Submitting a legal filing, it emphasized the need for publishers to gain more control over how their work is used in AI-generated outputs. They called for new policy tools that allow media organizations to withhold participation in AI training or summarization, especially when such tools bypass original content creators.
Meanwhile, internal discussions at Google, recently revealed by Bloomberg, suggest that the company has no intention of granting opt-out choices to publishers who wish to stay visible in search but avoid being scraped for generative models. For many in the media sector, this development highlights what they see as a deliberate strategy by Google: absorb the value of original content while denying its creators a voice in how that value gets repurposed.
For the News/Media Alliance and its members, the conflict is no longer about influence—it’s about survival. With search behavior being reshaped by AI, the group is urging regulators to act before Google’s dominance becomes even more entrenched.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next:
• These Are the Key Chatbots Competing for Your Attention
• AI Summaries of Scientific Research Often Mislead Readers, Study Warns
